Yep, had it for more than 10 years. I deal with it by not trying to think about it... it's hardest at night and at "quiet" activities, like during quiet parts of movies, but I hear it all the time, I guess I've just gotten used to it more.

I try and not listen to music in headphones very loud, when I do it gets worse (temporarily, then it goes back to the "normal" level).

I got it from a car accident. I was lucky to live so I guess it's a small price to pay.

Quiet is hell, I always have at least a radio on.
I bought a hearing aid which is supose to mask it. Not very good and it distorts and higher volume.
They tried telling me that because it's digital, it doesn't distort....what idiots.

I have this irreversible condition because I spent the better part of the 80s and early 90s standing in front of large stacks of very loud guitar, bass and keyboard amplifiers. I also listened to music and movies at volume levels that were absolutely insane, sometimes with headphones.

I tell my friends who abuse their ears to grab a tone generator and play a 3800 Hz sine wave at about 50db. That's about what I hear all the time. Sometimes its louder than that, and sometimes its softer but it is always there. I would give anything to go back in time and not be so stupid.

There's nothing wrong with loud music and movies, but it's important to be very careful and to not overdo it. Otherwise, one day you'll wake up and wonder why the ringing in your ears didn't go away this time. When that happens, it's too late; you'd better get used to it.

Same here.
And I got it from the same things you did... mostly from going to too many concerts, standing too close to the speakers. What really annoys me is that it could have been avoided had I just used earplugs... but no, that seemed too dorky.
/Mike

I always felt that I was alone in this, I knew of course that I wasn't but you don't often hear...HA! get it?...anyway...I don't often hear people talk about it in basic conversation.
It is SO MUCH worse at night...damn the concerts I went to as a young man and damn the screw machines I worked around, I wore earplugs religiously but they are no guarantee at the end of the day.

-Kevin M.

There's a human tendency to resent anyone who disagrees with our pleasures. The less mature interpret that as a personal attack on themselves. - Roger Ebert

I don't have tinnitus, but I do have messed up inner ears. When I was a child, I had so many ear infections that I needed ear tubes. Because of this, I have alot of scarring in my ears, and have lost some hearing. It gets aggrevating sometimes, especially when I can't hear a movie or someone I'm talking to. I'm probably gonna need a hearing aid when I'm older, if not now. I'm just too stubborn to go see if I need one now. I still get ear infections sometimes, but not like I used to.

I was born with it - I hear a high pitched tone which (obviously) gets more prominent the quieter the room. It gets worse if I have even the slightest head cold, and before I found a way of preventing my migraines (by cutting out red meat) it used to get worse before an attack.

I'm not trying to be confrontational, but I've got to say it - having lived with tinnitus all my life(and for a couple of years as a kid, been deaf as well) how anyone wants to screw around with their hearing if you're born normal is utterly beyond me. You are born with such a *gift*, one which I would give my eye teeth for - why f*** around with it by listening to over-loud music? Sorry, I'm really not trying to pick a fight, and I guess the answer is 'I didn't think it'd matter at the time', but it's something which fills me with complete bemusement.

Hindsight is always 20/20, if you hadn't been born with the condition are you quite sure you wouldn't have listened to loud music fearing nothing as young people are want to do? Or stood too close to a firework or firearm or car horn etc. etc.?
I'm sure you would like to answer that you would have thought twice and considered the consequences but you'll never really know for sure, none of us will.
Whether "Youthful indiscretion" or accidental damage, all we can do is deal with the reality of the now and try to warn others about it....if they are young then they probably won't listen to us "Old People" anyway.

-Kevin M.

There's a human tendency to resent anyone who disagrees with our pleasures. The less mature interpret that as a personal attack on themselves. - Roger Ebert

I've had it for about 2 years now. I only notice it at night but when I do it's hard to ignore. I spent way too much time at concerts and listening to headphones at high volume. I still listen to headphones at work but at much lower volume.

I worry that someday I'll only be able to look at my speakers and not hear them.

I have been a drummer now for 20 years. I suffer from a slight case. I have a fan going all the time when I sleep which helps cover up the noise in a quiet room.

I give Drum Clinics to Kids in Middle School and In High school. I cant stress enough to these Kids How important it is to wear ear plugs. In fact I will not Let any Kid enter the class without Earplugs.

I have been a drummer now for 20 years. I suffer from a slight case. I have a fan going all the time when I sleep which helps cover up the noise in a quiet room.

I give Drum Clinics to Kids in Middle School and In High school. I cant stress enough to these Kids How important it is to wear ear plugs. In fact I will not Let any Kid enter the class without Earplugs.

Hi ChrisR welcome to the club. Ive had mine since 93 its tough at first but after a while you get used to it BUT if it botheres you at night when your in bed try turning on a radio "white noise" as they call it! thats helped me out!

I'm not sure if I have this yet but I think 1 more loud concert might push me over the edge. As of now I have had a ringing in my ears for about a day and a half now after going to a concert on thursday night. From talking to my friends I have heard that it can last from 2-3 days. Still though Im starting to get kind of worried that it won't go away which would officialy put me in this thread. Can anybody give any positive words of encouragment that it will go away bye the end of the weekend. I think it has gotten a little better over the past day and it's only when it's really quit like when I try and fall asleep at night.